Back Country Horsemen recognized for contribution to Sanders County
The Wild Horse Plains Back Country Horsemen (BCH) are a local chapter that aims to keep forest trails accessible and open for livestock use around Sanders County.
On August 25th of this year the group was presented with a certificate of Appreciation in recognition to their dedication to support the Big hole Lookout Project and community members of Plains Montana.
The certificate was awarded by the United States Department of Agriculture via David J Hattis District ranger of Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District.
The award recognizes the support from active members helping clear trails; and also teach volunteers and FS personal Defensive Horsemanship and packing gear correctly and safely going to and from the lookout for the past five years.
The chapters website [http://www.bchmt.org/plains] states; ‘Wild Horse Plains BCH is centered in the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest, with lots of short trails and a few trunk trails all left from the network built through this heavily-timbered area in the 1920’s and ‘30’s.
While the Wild Horse chapter has worked a variety of projects since its 2006 reincarnation from an earlier Sanders County chapter for the years from 2012 to 2017 we’ve distilled much of our work down to the Big Hole Peak area just west of Plains and the installation of trail signs across the entire half million acres on the Plains/Thompson Falls Ranger District. We’ve entered into a Challenge Cost Share Agreement with the USFS to maintain about eight miles of trail, and in ‘13 we became involved with a Lookout-restoration project on the peak which continued into 2014, 2015, 2016 and is on the calendar for 2017where we pack materials and supplies for the Passport-In-Time volunteers. In 2014 the local District added a trail sign installation project to the agreement for 114 signs which was completed in the summer of 2015.
Throughout the 2014-2017 summers we; opened trails, skidded and peeled logs, hung 114 signs, pulled blueweed, participated in the Plains 6th grade campout at the Bend Guard Station, rode in the Plains Day Parade and, backed up by serious pack animals and expertise from the Region 1 and Bitterroot National Forest pack strings, packed camp and equipment for the nine-person Passport-In-Time crew working on the Big Hole Peak Lookout Restoration project.’
The local group meets every second Monday f the month at the Plains Library should anyone wish to know more or join the group as they continue their work and dedication to trails around the county.